Bending All the Rules
by CanadianSpoon
Summary: [2P!N.Italy(Nicola) x 2P!Canada(Samuel) AU] The handsome and timid Prince Nicola falls fast for the charming and cocky Prince Samuel, but one thing the Italian doesn't know is that Samuel isn't really a prince: he's a highly wanted criminal who is kidnapping Nicola for ransom. Trouble soon arises for Samuel too however, when he realizes he's fallen in love with his hostage.
1. I'll Find Someone

**A/N: This is a 2P!Hetalia AU and the pairing is N. Italy x Canada. Yes it's crack, but it's awesome and addicting. Say what? I didn't use the names "Feliciano" and "Matthew"? Nah, I didn't. So their names are "Nicola" for Italy and "Samuel" for Canada. You kinda need to know their names since it's AU and they aren't countries in this story. Alright, enough of me babbling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1 - I'll Find Someone

Nicola sighed.

He stood next to the throne that his father, the king of Florenshire, was seated in, and scanned the ballroom. A young woman approached him with all the grace she could amount to—her heels clicking against the marble floor and her dress shuffling around her feet. She curtsied before Nicola, mumbling "Your Highness" shyly. Nicola was unamused with her attempt of acting like a lady. In fact, he wasn't interested in any of the girls at the masquerade. They were haughty and ostentatious, feigning innocence and daintiness. It irritated him. He simply smiled boredly at the girl, waiting for her to take the hint that he didn't care to court her. She left his view, embarrassed that he showed no concern for her.

"Nicola, my son, why are you here beside me? Why are you not down on the ballroom floor finding your bride?" the king asked Nicola.

"Because, Father! These girls are uninteresting and pitiful!" Nicola answered. All that those women cared about was the prince's inheritance and royal status, he thought. They didn't want to love him or get to know him—they wanted to be a fairy-tale princess.

"You won't even give them a chance? You haven't courted a single lady tonight, Nicola; let alone even _talk_ to one of them," said his father in a stern, yet reserved tone.

"I know, Father, I know…" he replied, "In due time. I'll find someone tonight; that's a promise."

Samuel stepped through the castle doors. He smirked wickedly as he saw that many of the palace guards were paying attention to the guests on the ball floor. That meant that the palace treasury was probably lightly guarded. The hardest part of his mission would be sneaking past them on the way to the staircase, and it would be a cinch from there.

"Piece of cake," Sam thought aloud. Tonight was a good night to be a thief, he noted in his mind. He practically drooled on his uniform foreseeing all the gold he'd be stuffing in his pockets.

Samuel Williams was a criminal, and an infamous one at that. That night at the ball, however, he disguised himself as a prince to fit in. It wasn't difficult to get in, though, since everyone including himself was wearing a mask. He kept up the façade of being a prince well—bowing to other guests and speaking politely when offered a hors d'oeuvre. That kind of mannerism wasn't Samuel's forte, but he managed well enough with dedication to his goal. As the thief slithered his way over to the staircase, the king arose from his throne.

"Fantastic," mumbled Samuel sarcastically. He was so few paces away from the staircase, and now someone had to stall him at the worst of times.

The king cleared his throat, receiving the immediate attention of the ball attendants, "I'm glad you were all able to attend this wonderful event arranged for my son! He's growing now, and it's about time he finds a lucky bride, don't you think?" He gave a hearty laugh. "I hope you're all enjoying yourselves. Now let's take some time away from our conversations and join the synchronized waltz!" he nodded to the orchestra and they began to play as the king seated himself. He turned his attention to his wife, the queen, and Nicola sauntered down to the ball floor with a sigh. The prince took the hand of an overly decorated young lady.

"Shit," Sam murmured under his breath, "I have to hurry upstairs but…" he peered around the room and saw some guards eyeing him, "if I don't join this damned dance it'll look suspicious." The criminal sighed, regained composure, and became dance partners with a gentle-looking woman.

Nicola was uncomfortable. Samuel was as well, but at least he hid it well. All of Nicola's dancing partners felt the irritation radiating from his bored stare. Partners switched about every twenty seconds as the waltz progressed, but to Nicola every one of the girls seemed no better than the last. Someone must've made a mistake at one point, because—

"Eh?" Samuel turned around, as he'd just bumped his back into someone. He and Nicola turned to face each other.

"What the—!" Samuel began to exclaim.

"Are you a fool?!" Nicola grabbed Samuel's hand and shoulder, "Dance, you idiot! You'll ruin the sequence!" He intimidated Samuel to move.

"Are you insane? We're both men!" Sam protested. Nicola blushed, but it wasn't visible due to his mask.

"Who cares?! No matter what you can't upset the flow of the waltz, now move!" yelled the prince slightly above a whisper.

"You snobby little brat, ordering me around. You're quite rude for a royal," smirked the villain.

Nicola was astonished at the stranger's tone, and suddenly it was time to rotate partners again. Samuel waved the prince goodbye with a cocky smile.

"Adieu~!"

"Oh no you don't," Nicola snatched his hand and pulled him back. Samuel stumbled up to Nicola, who told the girl who was supposed to be his new partner to move along.

"What's your problem?!" Sam snapped.

"You can't get rid of me that easily. Now shut your mouth and put your hand on my waist or I'll have your head," ordered the prince, replacing the hand that was not linked with the thief's on his shoulder. Samuel complied fearfully.

"Now you listen to me," Nicola continued annoyed, although, something about this stranger's boldness intrigued him, "You can't just come to _my_ ball, at _my_ palace, and disrespect me. Who are you to act that way? Have you any idea who I am?"

"Of course, Prince Nicola," Samuel smiled charmingly, "everybody knows who you are."

Nicola waved the next girl along as he continued to waltz with Samuel. He returned the smile to him.

"Indeed they do, but who are you, sir? I've never seen you before, not that I get out much…."

"I…" Samuel paused. He had to come up with _something_. "I'm a prince as well," he lied.

"Of what kingdom do you hail?" the prince asked as he and the incognito outlaw swayed together. He could feel the flow of the music in him and began to hum to the song. Samuel admired Nicola's voice, low and smooth like liquid pouring over him. The thief closed his eyes and nearly lost himself in the vibrations, but the prince cleared his voice in gaining Sam's attention.

"It's, uh, Reginashire," he answered hastily. Samuel immediately regretted his answer, since that was truthfully where he lived most of the time. He scolded himself for telling someone any truths about him, but he shrugged it off since Nicola didn't seem like too much of a threat.

"Oh, is that so? I believe that's close to this kingdom, but I've never been." He sighed, "I never escape these palace walls. I'm so coddled! I'm jealous that you, a prince just the same as I am, have the freedom to travel."

"That's ridiculous. You should be able to go where you please! You're a prince for God's sake!"

"Watch your language, Prince— oh, that's right. I didn't receive your name," Nicola smiled, waiting for the other prince's reply, when suddenly Samuel had stepped on his foot.

"Ow! M-mind your footing!" Nicola stuttered angrily, "My goodness, for a prince you certainly are a lousy dancer! Didn't you have lessons?"

The thief shrugged, "I was never one to mind the rules. I prefer a life of action and fun, not studying and minding my manners and prancing around like a fool in fancy clothes," he grinned smugly.

"Are you calling me a fool?" Nicola raised an eyebrow. This arrogant man was really continuing to irritate him further, but something about Samuel's cockiness was burning a certain curiosity in Nicola. He'd never felt so interested in someone before, and was eager to dig deeper into this curious new feeling.

The orchestra had stopped playing. Samuel and Nicola bowed to one another methodically.

"Well, it seems the waltz is over. I should be going now," said Samuel.

"Oh must you? Can't you stay a while longer and talk with me?" Nicola pleaded. He hadn't intended to sound as desperate as he did.

Samuel scoffed, "You were just barking at me moments ago! Why do you all of the sudden want to have a chat?"

"Well even if you are rude, I respect and admire your stubborn attitude. It reminds me of myself, and it makes you different from the rest of the attendants here," he smiled.

"I'm happy for you that you find me _neat_, but honestly I have to go." Samuel wanted to get to the treasury and leave in a hurry, but as he looked about he noticed a few guards giving him strange glances. He realized they were onto him already. He had to get out of there fast, but he didn't want to abandon his plan of stealing the gold after he'd come so far. He looked back to the prince's hopeful face, and it was Nicola's interest in Samuel that allowed the thief to spark a new idea.

"So soon, Prince?" Nicola went on.

"Yes, I apologize for rudely leaving so early but I have somewhere to be."

"Well at least tell me your name so I don't forget to meet with you again!"

This kid was seriously determined.

"Alright, alright! It's Samuel. That good enough Prince Nicola?"

"Yes, thank you," the prince thought for a moment, "But you see, I'm not really permitted to leave the castle whenever I please, so I don't know when I will get an opportunity to see you again," Nicola frowned.

This would puncture a hole in Samuel's new plan.

"Hm…how about I come here to see you? Tomorrow?" suggested the felon.

"Oh that would be just lovely! Would you?"

"Yes, of course, I just don't understand why you're so excited about it," Samuel chuckled.

"I don't really have friends, and it gets quite lonely I shamefully admit…. I'd love to get to know you Prince Samuel. You seem like a very admirable man," smiled the young prince.

"Okay I get it, don't flatter me Prince, this isn't a romance novel," he laughed again. Nicola chuckled lightly as well.

"Yes, well, I'll see you tomorrow then, Prince Samuel."

"Right, I'll be here," Sam gave a nod, bowed again, and walked off. He hurried to the doors, and the suspicioned guards followed slowly. After Samuel was a safe distance from the palace doors he ran off, and the guards rushed after. Samuel reached his horse and rode into the woods. The guards didn't invoke a chase and decided it was best to keep watch at the castle.

Nicola sighed at Samuel's departure. He walked back to his father's side at the throne.

"Well son, did you meet someone during the waltz?"

The prince smiled in thought, "Yes father, I believe I did meet someone."

* * *

**A/N: Wow I honestly didn't think anyone would read this 1) because it's crack and 2) because I use different names for the characters. If you read this, I applaud you and I thank you and please continue reading and REVIEW dear God review so I know what you're thinkingggggg but be nice okay? I mean, I like criticism, but make it _constructive _not RUDE. Alright thanks again c:**


	2. I'll Be Waiting

**AN: **Well, I actually got some views with the last chapter and even some reviews! So I'll post this one now instead of waiting forever xD Enjoy as Prince Nicola and "Prince" Samuel meet again and bond.

* * *

Chapter 2 - I'll Be Waiting

That night after the ball, Samuel decided Reginashire was a bit far to return to, so he set up a resting place in the forest. He parked his horse near a creek and rustled through the items in a large sack tied to the saddle. A quilt he'd found in the sack was laid down on the rocky ground, only to make sure he wouldn't look filthy when he went to see Prince Nicola the next day. He washed his ballroom attire in the creek and hung the clothes up on branches to dry. Luckily he packed with him his usual getup, which was quite short of princely. He dressed into his normal outfit to sleep in for the night, and lay down on the blanket. As Samuel lay with his arms crossed under his head, he looked up at the trees and thought over his new plan.

He could tell that Nicola had taken interest in him, and if the prince really wanted to befriend him, Sam could use that to his advantage. He could earn the prince's trust, and then, once Nicola confided in him, he could take the chance to kidnap him for ransom.

The thief chuckled in admiration of his new plan, "Surely that brat is more valuable than three times the gold in the treasury. I have a feeling this'll be a fortunate turn of events."

He smiled with pride at his genius and sighed contently before falling to sleep. The next day, Samuel spent all his time anticipating his arrival at the castle. He debated with himself when he should actually kidnap the prince. Surely he couldn't do it that very day; Nicola didn't trust him enough. Not yet, that is. Of course, it wouldn't take long. The prince seemed so desperate for a friend after all—_pathetic_, Samuel thought. He'd have no problem luring the prince into confiding in him. He also had to think about the guards. He'd have to map out their shifts to learn when the best time would be for the kidnapping. After thinking over the complications over the course of the afternoon, Samuel figured it should take no more than two weeks. Yes—a visit at the castle every day for two weeks, and on or around the fourteenth day he'd take Nicola.

Samuel sighed aloud. This mission would be bigger than all of the others he'd carried out before. He was only eighteen years old after all; it wasn't as if he was a heist mastermind. Even if he was inexperienced with this exact type of crime though, he was confident—cocky even—in the fact that he'd succeed.

And with confidence in mind, Samuel dressed into his formal attire, packed up his belongings, and rode to the palace of Florenshire.

Sam knew the castle would be heavily guarded after they discovered his presence at the ball last night. He'd have to sneak in, which he was prepared to do, but the issue was that he hadn't located Nicola's room. It could've been in the center of the castle for all he knew. Sam slyly scanned the frontal perimeter, and stopped upon hearing a low hum.

"That voice sounds familiar…" Sam commented. He listened closely and sure enough, the voice belonged to Nicola. The royal's smooth humming was followed by the sound of a violin. Samuel recognized the sound of the prince's humming having heard it the night before during the waltz, and he knew instantly that had to be his room.

"Holy shit I already found him, how easy can this get?" the felon chuckled to himself. And what's more, there was a tall oak tree that, conveniently enough, led right up to the prince's balcony. It was as if they built the castle to Samuel's advantage.

"Alright," Sam whispered to himself when he approached the oak, "I've done this plenty-a-times. Time to revive my climbing skills."

Samuel first shimmied his hips in preparation, then jumped up to grab a low, thick branch, pulling his legs up after. He prayed the items in his belt wouldn't crash to the ground and cause a racket. Once he pulled himself up onto the branch, he steadied himself and jumped to the next, then the next, then the—

"Oomph!" Samuel exclaimed. He lost his footing right before the last jump, and his abdomen collided with the branch. He winced, trying to pull himself back up with slightly shaky arms.

Nicola stopped playing. He was sure he heard a noise.

"What on earth…." The prince sat down his violin and bow and walked towards the open French doors that lead to the balcony, which had the curtains down to hide the dimming sunlight. He was wary, afraid that there would be an intruder waiting for him. He heard rustling in the tree and hid behind the curtain to gain composure before opening it. He had no plan for what he'd do after he'd throw the curtain open, however—possibly attack the intruder or push him off the balcony. He could've just simply run away, but it was fight or flight and he was not one to lose his nerve. Suddenly, he heard feet landing on the patio and making their way toward him. He took a deep breath, threw back the curtain and lunged at the trespasser.

"Rrrrargh!" Nicola shouted as he hurled his fist toward the stranger.

"Whoa it's just m—!" Samuel crashed down onto the floor with a thud. Nicola gasped and covered his mouth in shock.

"P-Prince Samuel, is that you?"

The man groaned and writhed on the floor, cupping his cheek in his hands.

"I'm so sorry Prince Samuel! Come on, come sit on my bed while I get you a washcloth!"

"Nnnnnng," was the only reply Nicola received as he helped up the injured teen. He brought Samuel to sit on the edge of the bed and went to his restroom to wet a washcloth with cold water.

"Here, let me see your face," Nicola took Samuel's chin gently and turned his cheek toward him, pressing the wet rag to the purpling skin.

"Ow fuck!" Samuel yelped as he squeezed his eyes closed in pain.

"I'm sorry Prince! I thought you were an assailant!"

Samuel growled under his breath and glared at the prince for a moment before giving in with a sigh, "You punched me square in the face…but, you are forgiven," he smiled meekly.

Nicola smiled back sheepishly and pressed the rag to Samuel's cheek again. This time Sam only winced a little.

"Goodness Prince, I really am sorry…."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I mean, it won't hurt for long, and even if you did discolor my handsome face it'll only be black and blue for about a week, right?" the criminal attempted to lighten the situation to ease the prince's worries.

"Yes, I suppose so. Why did you come in that way after all?"

"Oh…it was because I wanted to meet you in secret."

"…And that is because…?" Nicola questioned.

"Because," Samuel began, "I figured that if you're lonely and don't get out much, the people around this castle probably don't want you chatting with strangers like me. I had to sneak in because I thought they wouldn't want me to see you Nicola." Samuel always had a talent for making up lies on the spot.

Nicola blushed inadvertently, "That's quite flattering, that you'd go through all that trouble just to see me. And, you didn't address me correctly Prince Samuel…."

"Am I not permitted to call you Nicola, or Nic even? We're friends now you know, and friends call each other by their names, not their titles."

"We're friends?" the young prince's face lit up at the thought.

"Of course we are. Isn't that why I'm here?" Samuel chuckled and smiled softly.

"Ah, well then by what name do I call you, if not Prince Samuel?"

"Samuel, or Sam is nice. I'd like either."

"Alright, then Samuel you shall be called, or Sam," chortled Nicola.

"What's so funny? You don't like my name?" Sam scowled.

"Of course I do! It's just that I've never called someone by such a personal name, Sam," he snickered once more.

"Do you think it's a silly name? Is that it?"

"Oh never!" Nic interjected, "It's a very handsome name!"

The felon smiled, "Thanks. Your name is very unique and romantic, I think."

"T-thank you Prince—I mean, Samuel. I've never heard someone use romantic to describe my name…."

"Well now someone has," Sam smiled, "So tell me Nicola, what were you doing before I intruded?"

"Oh, I was practicing the violin. I'm not very good. I've only been playing for about three years."

"Ha, well that's longer than me. I don't play any instruments."

"What?" Nicola asked surprised, "Not even piano?"

"No," Sam shrugged, "That's not where my talent lies. But enough about me, I want to hear you play."

"What? Me?"

"Is there anyone else in here?" chuckled Samuel.

"Oh please Sam, I'm not very good at all!"

"I'll be the judge of that," Samuel smiled charmingly.

Nicola sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll play," He instantly gave in upon seeing the persistent man's smile. He picked up his violin and perfected his seated posture on the edge of the bed. Samuel kicked off his boots and laid back to relax on Nicola's luxurious mattress. The prince didn't protest Samuel's impoliteness, and in fact felt more comfortable that Sam was making himself at home.

Nicola played a simple piece that all students have to practice. At first he played it like any student would, but he heard Samuel sigh contently in enjoyment of the music and decided to add his own flow, to impress him further. He hummed along with the strings as he swayed carefully to keep rhythm. Samuel rocked his foot back and forth to the sound, paying more attention to the prince's humming than the instrument. Nicola saw on Samuel's face that he enjoyed it, so after the song he decided to play another. This one was an actual song, not a student practice piece. It was more advanced, but it seemed to Samuel that Nicola mastered it and made it his own. Nicola then played another song, then another, and another. Soon, time had slipped away and he had been playing for nearly an hour. His wrist was beginning to falter from exhaustion and he found a fitting place to end his playing. He sighed happily and looked over to Samuel, who had fallen asleep minutes earlier. The prince smiled.

"Sam?" he sat down his violin and crawled over to Samuel on the bed, tapping his shoulder, "Prince Samuel?"

The only reply was Samuel's light snoring. Nicola snickered mischievously and rolled the thief off the side of the mattress.

"Ow!" Samuel sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?"

"To wake you up," shrugged the royal. "It's gotten late, the sun has already set."

"Ah, I guess that means I should head on home eh?"

"Yeah…."

"Don't fret," Samuel stood, "I'll return tomorrow evening to see you Nicola."

"You will?" Nicola exclaimed a bit too excitedly.

"Absolutely," he began pulling on his boots.

"You're such a good friend Samuel, thank you so much," smiled the prince in a sad manner, trying to not sound any more pitiful than what was beyond his control.

Samuel straightened out his pants and smiled back to him, "No problem at all. I'll be off then! I'll meet you here again tomorrow evening, alright? So be expecting me."

Nicola nodded, "I'll be waiting."

Samuel gave a brief nod, then left the castle from the way he came.

* * *

**AN: **Yay bonding. More bonding next chapter. There will be much bonding, since I want to stress that they are bonding yes indeed.


	3. Mio Fiore

**A/N: Yay more bonding. Don't worry the whole story doesn't take place in Nicola's room xD I just want to stress that they do spend plenty of time getting to know each other before things get personal c:**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Mio Fiore

Samuel did as promised, and showed up in Nicola's room the next evening. And the next. And the next. Each day was fairly uneventful, but that was fine for Samuel since the only reason he came over anyway was to let the prince get to know him and become comfortable around him.

Every day he'd ask Nicola to play the violin for him. Sometimes he'd take a nap or have Nicola sneak him a snack from the kitchen. Some days Nicola would read to Samuel from a book, but normally that just put Samuel to sleep. At certain times Nicola would show Samuel his collections of things in his room—such as his arrangement of foreign currency his father brought from his travels, or his collection of unique daggers.

On the twelfth day of coming over, he pleaded for Nicola to play the violin for him again, and Nicola gave in as usual. Sam did rather enjoy Nicola's playing—there was no denying that—but his true motive was just to get Nicola to loosen up a little. Nicola was finished after a relaxing twenty minutes, and Samuel felt it was safe to ask some personal questions.

"So…" the criminal began the interrogation with 'warm-up' questions so he wouldn't seem suspicious, "Nicola Vargas, eh? That's your name?"

"Yes," the prince smiled, "And yours is Samuel, uh…."

"Williams," Samuel finished with a nod.

"Prince Williams? That's a very lovely sounding title. What's your middle name?"

Samuel hesitated. He had to think for a moment and try to remember. He had run away from home at twelve years old, and even before then his parents rarely said his middle name. He almost admitted he forgot his own middle name, until he just barely remembered: "Carter."

"Samuel Carter Williams?" Nicola said aloud. _That's so handsome_. "What do your names mean?" he asked.

_I thought I was asking the questions…._ "Well, if I recall correctly, Samuel means 'God has heard' or 'word of God,' and Carter…well that one isn't important."

"Aww, why not?"

The fiend rolled his eyes, "It just means 'one who pushes a cart' or something like that…."

Nicola chuckled, "That's _cute_. My name, Nicola, means 'victor of the people,'" he smiled pompously.

"What an attractive meaning," Sam nodded, "What's your middle name, Nic?"

The prince had forgotten the nickname Samuel gave him, but disregarded how casual it sounded, "My brother and I were given two middle names. I know it's untraditional but we—"

"Brother? You have a brother?" Samuel interrupted.

Nicola looked astonished at the fact Samuel didn't know this.

"Of course I do! His name is Kristiano! How could you have not known? He's a prince of the family too!"

"Well, I didn't see him at the ball last night."

"No, because he's in Granadashire right now, following his studies."

"Well, shows what I know eh?" Sam chuckled, "How old is he?"

"Only sixteen years. He's quite tall and handsome for his age though, I must admit," smiled Nicola with pride.

"I see, so you're obviously the older one of the two brothers then. How old are you exactly?"

"So curious, aren't you Samuel? I'm nineteen."

"W-what?" Samuel exclaimed.

"Is something the matter?"

"No…no, I just thought I was older than you…. You do look quite young…."

"Of what age are you? Now I'm certainly curious! I'm going to laugh if you're only sixteen!" Nicola tried to suppress a giggle.

"Not a chance in hell! I'm eighteen!" Samuel huffed and stuck out his chest in trying to look tough.

Nicola chortled, "Goodness that's precious! You look about twenty-four! Especially with those bags under your eyes! My God, _eighteen_!" he laughed.

Samuel just scowled. He wasn't going to admit that the dark circles under his eyes were a sensitive topic. He had a lot of sleepless nights that just kept piling up—not to mention the daily stress of having to kill or steal for your meals; meals which he did not get often. Nicola didn't understand what Sam went through on a daily basis that gave him those bags under his eyes, yet he was teasing him about it. That pissed Samuel off to no end. He really just wanted to leave, but he wasn't about to let this brat ruin his plan.

"Whatever, are we over it now? It's just a one year difference."

"Yeah, you're right, but I still have superiority over you!" smiled the prince with glee.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. We'll see how long _that_ lasts anyway."

Nicola chuckled, "You're right, you do seem like the more dominant one of the two of us," he smiled, and didn't realize that Samuel, being a pervert, was beginning to form interesting thoughts from that statement, "So do you have anything else to ask?"

Samuel cleared his mind quickly, "Oh, plenty. So I noticed you don't look much like your father or your mother. Why is that?" he asked.

"_That_ woman is _not_ my mother."

"Geez, touchy subject eh?"

"Can you not hear the accent in my voice? Does either the king or the queen look Italian to you?"

"Italian? So that's what you are?" Sam queried.

"Half. My mother was Italian and my father is English. Kristiano is my full-blooded fratello, so she was his mother too. My father remarried to that puttana who sits in the throne now only months after the death of my mother…."

"Well I hear the Italian now…." Samuel did not know what a _puttana_ was, but by the way the prince said it he assumed it was nothing any woman wanted to be called. Sam was wary of the next question he was going to ask, but he was too curious to think about how intrusive he sounded, "So how old were you when she died?"

"I was only perhaps fifteen…." Nicola sighed.

"What happened to her?" Sam continued rudely.

Nicola glanced at him, hurt that Samuel didn't care about how painful the subject was, but he pressed on to feed the man's curiosity, "She was murdered by bandits while in her carriage, on her way back to here from Italia. That was the real event in which my father decided I shouldn't travel outside the palace. He constantly reminded me of the vicious people in the world who are like the bandits that killed my mother." he said blankly. He tried not to think while he spoke, as to not cry in front of Samuel.

Samuel gulped. He was just like them, the vicious bandits that murdered the prince's mother. He travelled along the roads and killed and thieved, just like those men that Nicola feared. Sam felt a hint of guilt, but he ignored it.

"I'm sorry Nicola." That was all he could say.

"It's fine. It was years ago, so don't bother yourself with guilt. I hate being pitied by others."

"I do feel sorry though…."

"Well people pity me all the time and I get so sick of it! They talk about me behind my back, saying how they feel sorry for the first born son who's a failure!" he clenched his angry fists.

"What? In what way are you a failure?"

"They call me a heathen and a devil-child! I'm the first born, so I'm supposed to be perfect! Yet I was born with this dirty brown hair and eyes red like the fires of hell! But my brother Kristiano was born looking like my father—with blonde hair and blue eyes. One of his middle names is Angelo, meaning angel. And that's what everyone calls him—the kingdom's little angel. And I'm the fire-eyed, God-less, cursed devil child!" Nicola nearly choked on his last words, but he still refused to cry.

Samuel just smiled sadly, "Oh Nicola…. The color of your eyes doesn't make you evil at all. In fact, I like your eyes. I think they're…different. And very bright. And beautiful." Samuel wanted to smack himself hard at that point. _Beautiful?_ He felt like a blubbering idiot.

Nicola smiled brightly, "Beautiful? You think so?" he asked hopefully.

The felon just followed through with what he said, "Yeah of course! They're the loveliest eyes I've ever seen, definitely! Sure they're not normal, but that doesn't make them bad! If you haven't noticed, my eyes are an unnatural color too!"

"Aren't yours blue?"

"No, if you look closely, you'll notice that they're violet. See?"

"Oh…yeah I see…." _They're gorgeous._ "But, at least yours aren't red…red eyes just seem evil…" he sighed.

Samuel growled in irritation under his breath. He hated the prince's whining and sulking. "Nicola…" Samuel didn't want to, but to get Nicola's spirits up again, it was the only way. So, as both of them sat on the foot of the prince's bed, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Nicola. Even if Sam was holding Nicola quite awkwardly, it was sincerely comforting to the prince. "Your eyes don't bother me. We're not so different, eh? We both have strangely colored eyes, so why don't we just, you know, embrace it? I like your eyes, and you like my eyes. So nobody needs to be sad anymore, right?"

Nicola sighed, relieving much of his stress for the moment, "Right. Thank you Samuel."

Now that Nicola felt a bit better, Sam knew it was okay to let go. After the hug, he didn't want it to feel awkward and quiet, so he sparked up conversation again.

"So, 'victor of the people,' you never told me your middle name! Or, names."

"Heh, you're right. I suppose we got distracted, didn't we? Well, my first middle name is Carlino. It means manly—isn't it fitting?" smiled Nicola cockily.

"_Sure_ it is. What about your other one?"

"Oh, my second middle name is Fiore."

"…." Samuel waited for the meaning. Nicola just blinked back at him without a word.

"Well what the hell does it mean?"

"It's embarrassing and I don't want to tell you."

"Haha that's hilarious. It can't possibly be worse than someone that pushes a cart around, but I told you the meaning of mine anyway! So confess!" Samuel called him out.

"I don't…" he sighed, "Alright Samuel. My mother gave it to me. It means 'flower,'" he blushed and crossed his arms in a pout.

"Flower?" Samuel's lip twitched, "Pfft, right after manly? _Flower_?" he cackled.

"Thanks…."

"Oh God I'm sorry but that's just adorable! You're a manly flower!"

"You just made me feel better about my self-consciousness and now you're belittling me? What's wrong with you?" Nicola frowned.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he let out the rest of his laughter, "It's actually kind of appealing you know."

"Now you're lying out of guilt."

"No I'm not! It does sound like an appealing little nickname. My flower," Samuel smirked charmingly.

Nicola wanted to smack the man from embarrassment at the cutesy pet name, "I'm not yours! Stop flattering yourself!"

"That's beside the point eh? I just think the nickname sounds nice is all," Samuel shrugged, faking innocence.

"Mio fiore…that does have a nice sound…" Nic admitted.

"Doesn't it? I'll love to tease you with _that_ nickname!" he laughed. Nicola just shook his head and chuckled.

"Samuel Carter, what am I to do with you?"

Sam smiled that same, deviously trusting smile, "Just trust me, and be my good friend," he said.

"That's something I can do without you asking," the royal answered, returning a smile.

One of the castle servants knocked on Nicola's bedroom door, making both the prince and Samuel nearly jump.

"Who is it?" Nicola asked after taking a deep breath.

"A servant, your Highness. It's time for your supper."

"Ah, si. I'll be down in a moment," he yelled towards the door and turned his attention back to Samuel, "You arrived a little late tonight didn't you Samuel? Well I have to go downstairs now, so you should be leaving."

"What a shame. Alright, I'll be off then," he stood and stretched his arms, "See you tomorrow, my little flower," he winked.

Nicola felt his heart flutter and he couldn't understand why. He assumed it was just the feeling of embarrassment.

"Of course Sam," he replied.

"Goodnight Nicola," Samuel gave a little salute before swinging himself over the balcony.

The young prince smiled at the husky scent that Samuel had left behind, "Buena notte, Samuel."

* * *

**A/N: woohoo they're friends, right? Well Nic thinks so haha**

**reviewwwwwww**


	4. Bitter and Sweet

**A/N: One or two drinks (or bottles coughcough) won't hurt, right?**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Bitter and Sweet

Samuel had been exceptionally good at keeping his word to Nicola. He had showed up every evening as promised, and he hadn't missed one day. They certainly had plenty of time to "bond" in the fourteen days. In fact, they had such a nice time with each other's company, Samuel didn't even notice that the fourteen days had passed. He kept visiting day after day, chatting with the prince, hearing his music, and so on. One night however, the thirty-second night to be exact, the routine had been broken.

Samuel swept aside the curtain as he walked into Nicola's bedroom from the balcony. Nicola stood quickly and walked over to Samuel.

"It was dark hours ago Sam! Where have you been? I thought the guards might've captured you in thinking you were a villain!"

Samuel chuckled due to the irony of that thought, "Of course not, after all this time you think I'd be caught that easy?" He was about to chuckle again, but his stomach growled at a volume that made the prince jump.

"Was that your stomach?!" Nicola exclaimed.

The thief was flushed with embarrassment, "Yes," he admitted shamefully, "I haven't eaten since this morning, but it's only because I've just been so busy," he bluffed. He wouldn't admit to Nicola that he hadn't had a meal in two days because he couldn't find or afford one. Then Nicola would know he lied about being a prince, not to mention that the fact that he was starving hurt his pride.

"Dio mio, you should have something to eat! I've already had my supper, but don't worry. I'll sneak into the kitchen to find something to hold you over, si?" Nicola smiled and took Samuel's coat, motioning for him to make himself comfortable on the bed.

"I'll be right back!" And with that, the prince left the room.

What felt like half an hour to Samuel was really only ten minutes. He was wondering what on Earth was taking Nicola so long, when the aforementioned man finally returned.

"What was keeping you?" Samuel asked, but answered his own question when he saw what the prince brought back with him.

"All of this, that's what," Nicola sighed –relieved that he wasn't caught– and sat a silver tray down onto the bed before Samuel. He sat across from his guest and pointed out the foods he brought for them, "So, we have half a baguette—sliced, a few different cheeses, some salted sliced meats, a few fruits, and, lucky us, I was even able to find the cioccolato," he smiled.

Samuel's jaw nearly hung open. He hadn't had a meal like this in, well, ever—since he lived his childhood in poverty. He had never even seen some of the cheeses in front of him before, or seen an apple so colorful, or bread so soft or…that brown stuff. Right, chocolate. He'd never seen chocolate before. It _looked_ appetizing enough. He was sure his father told him about chocolate before, that he had it once in his life and that it was bitter and sweet. _How could something be bitter and sweet at the same time? _He supposed he was about to find out soon enough.

"Samuel? You're practically drooling on your garments and look as though you haven't eaten in weeks! Is everything alright?" the prince shared his concern. He couldn't see why a prince should seem so starved.

"I'm fine, just hungry. I haven't sat down for a meal in a while, since I'm always busy with, you know, prince stuff."

Nicola chuckled, "I know how that is. But you at least deserve to rest and enjoy a good meal, si? Go ahead," he smiled. For some reason the young royal felt proud of himself for preparing a meal for the hungry man.

Samuel had to hold himself back from shoving everything down to satisfy his neglected stomach. Nicola would really be concerned if Samuel began eating like a pig, nonetheless Sam didn't bother to use proper etiquette. They were eating on a bed after all.

The felon started off with the meat—he couldn't resist. Nicola let Samuel eat the meat while he himself had an apple. Samuel finished off about half before moving onto the cheese, which Nicola shared as well. There wasn't much conversation save for small talk about what countries each of the cheeses came from and that the apples were from their own personal garden. Everything was so delicious, Sam was torn between satisfying his hunger quickly or savoring the flavors that he'll probably never experience again. Even the bread wasn't bland, for it had a certain crunch to the crust and a soft center that melted in your mouth and was so flavorful in itself it needed no butter. Samuel wasn't full yet, but he was satisfied. He wanted to save room for the chocolate and maybe something to drink. They pushed the rest of the food aside, and Nicola kept near the three pieces of chocolate.

"I want you to close your eyes," said the older of the two men.

"What for?" Samuel asked suspiciously.

"Oh please, it's chocolate, not poison. Just close your eyes," Nicola instructed again. Samuel rolled his eyes and obeyed.

"I want you to just think about what you're eating, and _feel_ it without having to see it."

"That sounds stupid, what's the point?" Samuel asked irritated. He kept his eyes closed however.

"You'll understand." Nicola picked up a dark, almost black piece of chocolate and held it to the criminal's lips, "Open up," he said, and Samuel did so. Nicola pushed it halfway into the man's mouth, letting Samuel bite off a small piece.

"How's it taste?" the prince queried as he popped the rest of the piece into his mouth.

Samuel, eyes still closed, chewed slowly on the chocolate. It didn't melt very well, and was very grainy. Once the taste settled in, Samuel's initial reaction was to spit it out, but instead he swallowed it immediately.

"It's disgusting! It's terribly bitter!" His face wore a repulsed expression and his tongue frenzied to rid of the taste.

Nicola chuckled, "Mi dispiace, I guess I'm used to the extra bitter chocolates. They aren't my favorite either though. Here, I have something that will wash away the taste." The prince hopped off the bed and went to his closet, where he pulled out a chest. It wasn't locked, so he quickly unlatched it and swung open the lid. In it were several bottles of Italian red wine and two chalices.

"These were my mother's," said the prince, "The glasses are from her and my father's first date, actually. The wines are autentico Italiano. I never knew what I was saving them for, but I guess now would be a good time for a bottle since I'm far too lazy to go back to the kitchen," he chortled. He took a corkscrew from the chest and came back to the bed. After setting the two glasses on the tray, he opened one of the bottles and poured each glass half full.

"Aw come on, I can take more than _that_," Samuel smirked. Nicola smiled hopelessly and filled both glasses. Samuel took one and immediately gulped down half the glass to get the awful taste of that bitter chocolate out of his mouth.

"Alright now close your eyes again, it'll be better this time I promise." Once Samuel complied, Nicola slipped another piece through the other's lips, letting Samuel take a bite. "Come e il sapore? How does this one taste?"

It was definitely less coarse, Samuel noted right away, and certainly less bitter. He savored this piece for a while as it melted. This must've been the chocolate his father had reminisced about.

"That one was much better," Samuel delighted and drank a bit more wine, his glass almost empty. Nicola drank some of his as well, taking gulps like Samuel rather than the usual sipping.

"Alright, one more. This cioccolato is special," Nicola smiled and held up the little round morsel, "It's from my mother's home town in Italia, and it's much more sweet than bitter. Another special attribute of this treat is that it melts faster than bitter chocolates, and it's very creamy when you eat it."

When Samuel took a bite of the chocolate Nicola held to his lips, his tongue reveled in the symphony of senses. The fruity taste of the wine and the sweetness of the chocolate together was celestial, and the creaminess was the epitome of pleasure. The chocolate melted as soon as his warm breath surrounded it and poured onto his tongue it seemed, releasing its sweet, milky flavor into every corner of his mouth. It was like nothing he'd tasted before. If he could live on any food, it wouldn't be salted meat, or exotic cheese, or fluffy bread. It would be this chocolate.

"Molto dolce, si?" Nicola smiled and swirled his wine. He could tell on Samuel's face that he liked it.

"My God yes! Oh it was gone too soon! That was so immensely delicious Nicola, you _have_ to give me more someday!" he said elated as Nicola took another long drink.

The prince chuckled, "Well you'll just have to travel with me to Italy someday," he smiled as he refilled he and Samuel's glasses which were only a quarter full before.

"Oh, what's the occasion?" Sam smiled in delight at the liquid and drank some. He was never one to _sip_ alcohol, anyway.

"Oh, I don't know…" Nicola took a swig, "Because I honestly didn't think you'd stick around this long. You're a really good friend, Sam."

"Aw think nothin' of it eh?" Samuel waved a hand leisurely, then pat Nicola's shoulder strongly, "You're a good guy who deserves someone to trust and confide in, and that someone is me—am I right?" the scheming man smiled kindly. Though he had to admit, he felt a sting of guilt when he thought about how he was using Nicola. He'd really gotten to know him after all this time. He couldn't wait till this was all done and over so he could act like nothing happened—like there was no betrayal.

Nicola smiled right back after taking another drink, "Right, I trust you Samuel."

Sam gulped down the remainder of the wine in his glass without delay. "Gone already?" he said as he peeked in through the top of his glass, which was unnecessary since it was transparent, "Whaddya say we finish off this bottle eh Nic?"

Nicola felt uneasy, but hell, he'd never been able to go out drinking with a friend before and this was close enough for now, so he was ready to let loose and relax for once. He wasn't tired anyway from taking a long nap earlier as many Italians tend to do, so what was the point in avoiding having a little fun bonding with Samuel?

He smiled, "Hell yes Sam, let's polish it off."

* * *

**A/N: things are bout to get steamy**

**review c:**


	5. Practice Makes Perfect

**A/N: Alright guys finally a new chapter, and this time it's a little more than friendly bonding.**

* * *

Chapter 5 - Practice Makes Perfect

"Alright!" the felon exclaimed. Nicola giggled and shushed Samuel as he sat the tray of leftovers on the nightstand, grabbing the wine and pouring the rest into their glasses. His was only able to fill halfway, though.

"Aw Sam, you got the most of it! That's hardly fair," he pouted.

"Well just grab another bottle, fool!" he laughed and took a drink.

"Si, of course!" Nicola laughed along, paying no mind to the minor insult and screwing open another bottle of wine. He poured himself some, and sat the bottle on the nightstand next to the already-empty one.

"Now that's how a chalice should look! Filled to the brim!" commented Samuel as he grinned and drank some more. His nose, cheeks and ears were starting to grow pinker the more he drank. Nicola thought it was cute.

"You look so flustered~" Nicola chuckled and took a deep drink.

Samuel mimicked him and took a gulp as well, "Ah well maybe it's 'cause I'm around such an attractive guy, am I right?" He nudged the prince with his elbow and laughed. Samuel wasn't joking however, since he wasn't drunk. He was a large man and had drank a lot more than that in one setting before, so there was no way a little wine could deter him so easily. Nicola on the other hand was already getting some of the alcohol's effects, since he'd never drank so much before and wasn't built as large as the younger teen.

"Haha, I'm attractive am I?" Nicola took a drink, "All the women seem to think so, but I don't see it," he shrugged and swirled around the wine in his glass.

"You kiddin'? You're hot as hell! If I was a lady I'd want you too~" Sam snickered and winked, taking a draft. Nicola was not a bad looking guy in the least, he had to admit.

"Come on don't flatter me, you don't mean that," the near-drunken prince smiled and refilled his half-empty glass.

"Course I do!" protested Samuel, "Why would I say it if I didn't mean it? You think I'm fuckin' lyin' or somethin'?"

"Hey don't cuss like that in my house, mister!" Nicola scolded but did a poor job at it since he was laughing, "Aw who am I kiddin'? I don't give a shit if you cuss around me Sam, I cuss all the fuckin' time!" He took another large gulp.

"No kiddin'?" Sam drank along, "But you're always tellin' me not to, you ass!"

"Yeah yeah but that's 'cause we're supposed to be princes and stuff, and not do unholy things you know, and cursing is very unholy!" He nodded overdramatically, spilling some of his wine, and took yet another draft.

"Psh, I do unholy things aaaaaall the time!" Samuel took another drink, "I don't live life by the rules, it's more enjoyable that way!"

"Yeah, you know what, you're right!" exclaimed the drunk teen, "Ever since I've been spending time with you and being sneaky and keeping secrets, I've had so much more fun! I shouldn't have to be confined by rules all of the fucking time!"

"Now you're talkin'!" They took a swig together, "You gotta have some fun! Steal some shit and have some sex and bend some rules!"

"Well I guess tonight would be my first time stealing anything, since I wasn't supposed to take food from the kitchen," Nicola laughed, "But I've never had sex before," he shrugged and swallowed the rest of his wine, filling it up halfway again to leave some for his friend.

"What?!" Samuel threw his hands up, spilling his drink, "Are you joking? You must be! You're the most attractive man I've ever fucking laid eyes on!"

Nicola chuckled giddily at that, "This again? Sam I said knock it off! You can't mean that," he waved it aside and took a gulp.

"Come on why don't you believe me? I mean from one mate to another, in the friendliest way possible, I'd definitely fuck you!" Sam nodded in encouragement.

"You really mean it?" Nicola smiled.

"Of course! I'd give you the night of your life, I'll tell ya that right fuckin' now!" He chortled and drank his wine, setting down the glass. He wasn't drunk yet, but he _was_ partially impaired. He took the drunken Nicola's glass away and sat it down, then took Nicola's hands in his own as they sat cross-legged from each other.

"Alright look, this 'ere's the problem eh? You've never had sex before, and because of that you just think you are unlovable and unattractive! So what you need to do is find someone and do 'em, and then your self-esteem will fix itself and you'll come to realize the god-like qualities you possess!"

Nicola nodded in understanding, although, of course since he was drunk, he only had _heard _Samuel, and not actually understood him.

"So, you probably don't know what to do when you have sex, right? Well it's all about the body language and your words, that's how you really get started. Like for instance, when you had your first kiss, you were probably enticed to do it. Like, the girl was probably winkin' at you and swayin' her dress and—"

"Wait, wait slow down Sam! I've never had a first kiss before!" Nicola shook his hands in exaggerated panic as Samuel held them.

"What? You've gotta be kiddin'! Nicola I'm ashamed of you! You're older than me and I've had more action 'an you! How are ya s'posed to know what to do if you can't even kiss eh?" Sam exclaimed.

"Well I've never had a good amico to help me out with these things! You're my first friend!" Nicola explained and hiccupped.

"Well that just means I'll have to teach ya eh?" Sam smiled. "Don't worry, Sam 'ere will take care of ya! Just trust me Nic, I know about these things," he nodded to himself, and again Nicola nodded along.

"So, a kiss. What am I supposed to do?"

"Alright well since you don't know how to give one, first we'll practice what you do when you _receive_ a kiss, then you can use your knowledge and practice _giving_ a kiss. Sound dandy?"

He blushed and nodded, "Thank you for helping me with this Samuel! I'm so embarrassed that I don't know anything about this!"

"Hey, no problem!" replied the near-drunk instructor, "Just let ol' Sam show ya how it's done! Alright, now close your eyes, just like you made me do with the chocolate."

Nicola nodded and closed his eyes, blushing, "Si, now what?"

"Just relax eh? Don't bite your lip 'cause you're nervous and shit like that. Just relax your shoulders and your face. You don't have to do anything but sit there, we're takin' baby steps here. Alright are you relaxed?"

"As much as I can be…" he said, his face still red from the wine and the nervousness.

"Alright, I'm gonna kiss you okay?"

"S-si." He swallowed and his heart pounded. He wanted to purse his lips but he remembered that Samuel told him to relax, so he just relaxed.

Samuel closed his eyes and leaned forward, kissing the prince's lips which were reddened from the wine. The kiss couldn't have lasted more than two seconds, but it dragged on in Nicola's perspective.

Samuel pulled away and Nicola had his eyes squeezed shut, but then he opened them once he realized they had parted.

"Oh…that wasn't so bad!"

"Yeah exactly! You proud of yourself?" Samuel smiled.

"Yes, I am Samuel! Grazie! That was va bene!"

"Whoa now, we aren't finished yet. When you have your real first kiss you can't just awkwardly have your hands at your sides eh? You've got to know what to do with your hands or it'll all fall apart and you'll ruin your first kiss and you'll be a virgin your whole life! So listen."

The prince nodded frantically in his drunken state.

"Hmm…take this hand and put it here," Samuel narrated himself picking up Nicola's hand and placing it on Sam's bicep. "Then take this one and put it…here," he said as he placed Nicola's other arm on his waist. "Now I'll put mine…here on your waist and one on your shoulder. Alright now close your eyes again and relax."

Nicola took a deep breath and nodded to Samuel when he was relaxed. Samuel closed his eyes and went in for another kiss, this time pulling Nicola forward by his waist and shoulder. He let this kiss last a little longer, to show how much more passionate a kiss can be just with physical contact.

"Did you notice the difference?" Sam asked after the kiss ended.

"I did!" Nicola answered astonished, "It was much more…fiery!"

Samuel chuckled, "That's not fiery, Nic. If you want to try a little more adventurous though, we can put our hands somewhere else. Let's try this, you put both hands on my chest like so, and I'll put mine here on your thigh and on your cheek here, is that okay with you?"

"Si, va bene! I need the practice," Nicola hiccupped and smiled.

"Alright here we go," Sam said and leaned in again. He caressed Nicola's cheek with his thumb but kept the hand on Nicola's thigh still as to not push too far. Nicola had his hands on Samuel's chest where he put them, and didn't know what to do with them so he kept still. Samuel pulled away and ruffled Nicola's hair.

"Hey, great job!" Sam smiled.

"Don't mess up my hair!" Nicola laughed, "Oh hey, now we can practice me doing it to you?"

"Yeah if you're ready! Now you need to learn where you need to put your hands in order to be the dominant kisser. You need to establish that you are the one giving the kiss, understand? So I'll put my hands on your waist, and you put yours on my shoulders in order to pull me in alright? Now, since I want you to get the feeling of being in charge when you give the kiss, I'll let you pull away whenever you want to. Go ahead when you're ready." Sam nodded and closed his eyes, putting his hands loosely on Nicola's slim waist.

"Right. I can do this."

Nicola inhaled, then slowly pulled Samuel closer as he leaned in for the kiss. He counted three seconds in his head, then pulled away and took a deep breath.

"That was…okay," shrugged Samuel, "Here's some advice. Don't be so slow to start, if you don't hurry and get to the kiss one might grow impatient. And if it's a first kiss, you don't want to give the other person the chance to pull away before you lock lips, know what I'm sayin'? Another thing, I could tell you were counting. It feels really bad when your lips are so stiff and you pull away so soon, almost like someone dared you to kiss me and you didn't want to. Don't make me feel unwanted, that's not very nice," he chuckled.

"What you need to practice is definitely being more dominant with the kiss. The girl's gonna get bored if you let her do all the work Nicola. Make the person you're kissing feel _desired_. Here, this time put your hands on my face, like around my cheeks. This way you might feel like you have more control. I'll put my hands on your chest. People tend to put their hands there when being kissed by someone for the first time because their first reaction is shock and they might want to push you away. _Don't_ let me want to push you away. Make me want to stay and embrace you. Got it?"

"I'll try," the prince sighed and gathered his calm for a moment before putting his hands on Samuel's cheeks. Samuel put his hands on Nicola's chest and stared into Nicola's drunk eyes.

"You've got this Nicola," he nodded to the prince. Nicola nodded back in agreement, picking up confidence. Samuel closed his eyes and breathed, and at this Nicola closed his eyes, and pulled Samuel's face toward him, kissing the man strongly and confidently. It was such a strong kiss in fact, that Samuel's hands stiffened at first. He was shocked that Nicola pulled it off on the first try. Nicola didn't stop though—he pushed his lips harder against Samuel's, not letting an ounce of his confidence go to waste.

He did it. He kissed with such passion that it made Samuel want to keep going. Samuel's hands shifted from Nicola's chest to his shoulders and he pulled the older teen closer. For a while, they forgot it was just practice. Nicola finally broke the kiss after what felt like decades and the two were left panting. Samuel looked lustfully—although a large part of the lust was the wine—into Nicola's eyes. He wanted to tell him how proud he was and that he did an amazing job, but his body had something else in mind. Before Samuel's thoughts could catch up to the alcohol, he had pushed Nicola down onto the bed and crawled on top of him, kissing his lips frantically. Nicola didn't stop him—the drunken teenager within him wanted this too.

Samuel kissed the ruby-eyed brunette strongly on the lips, releasing nearly all of his pent-up lust in one long kiss, but he didn't want it to end there. He licked the prince's lips, receiving a sharp gasp from the shorter man below him. The criminal chuckled and took the chance to slip in while Nicola's lips were parted. Nicola had no intention of protesting Samuel's intrusion, and wrapped his arms around Samuel's neck as their tongues collided.

If Nicola wasn't drunk, he would've been highly embarrassed because he had no practice in French kissing and he would've known he was doing a God awful job at it; but he couldn't have cared less in that moment and just accepted it. Samuel's tongue massaged Nicola's as it admired the taste of the potent wine still lurking in his mouth. Nicola's tongue had no idea what it was supposed to be doing, so it just mimicked Samuel. Soon enough, Nicola had gotten the hang of French kissing. Samuel took note that the prince was a very fast learner.

After breaking the kiss, Samuel just kept kissing Nicola roughly over and over again. He didn't want there to be any words between them, he just needed to let his passion out. He realized though—yes, even in his drunken state he was able to do some thinking clearly—that if he continued to "let his passion out" that it would only lead to a bad thing. Being so close, he could smell the cologne on Nicola's neck and it was enticing him to kiss there, but he knew that if he went on to kiss Nicola's neck, then his shoulders, then his chest…well, he knew they would be doing more than kissing soon enough. And with Nicola being completely drunk and himself being semi-drunk, he didn't want to take advantage of the prince like that. With anyone else it would've made an amazing one night stand, but Samuel just didn't want it to be like that with Nicola. He had a plan to follow anyway, and he needed Nicola to trust him in order to carry out that plan. And with that unwanted realization, Samuel stopped smothering Nicola with kisses and lay beside him, panting.

"S-Samuel…" Nicola panted, "That was molto bene~!" he hiccupped.

"Mhm," Sam smiled, "It sure was~"

"Sam you don't have to go home, you can stay here okay?" the prince hiccupped once more.

"Really? Oh thanks Nicola, just this one night I promise," he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Of course Sam. I wouldn't make you go all the way back, and I like your company anyway!" Nicola smiled cheekily and rolled over to put out the lantern on the nightstand. Samuel did the same for the nightstand on his side.

"I appreciate it, can we go to sleep now? I'm exhausted," said Samuel as he stretched.

"Aww no more kisses?" Nicola faked a pout and then giggled, "No I'm just kiddin' Sam, we'll go to bed!"

Samuel, even being a bit drunk himself, could tell how badly drunken Nicola was. He hoped Nicola would be able to get a good night's sleep nonetheless. In the morning they could wake up and talk about what happened that night, although Samuel dreaded the thought of having such a talk. For now though, he wanted to enjoy a nice sleep on the softest mattress he'd ever been on, and forget about the mess he possibly just caused.

* * *

**A/N: ** _**And**** then they totally cuddle the end**_** (don't worry it's not the end)**


	6. Take Me Away

**A/N: Now the fun begins**

* * *

Chapter 6 - Take Me Away

The blonde woke up to a sharp knock at the door. Wait, the door? Since when was he inside a room and not in the woods? And why did he have a throbbing headache? And why was there some guy sleeping in his arms?

Ah. Right. Samuel spent the night at Nicola's house. He remembered eating a nice meal, and drinking some wine…okay _lots_ of wine. For a moment, Samuel wondered whether he and Nicola had sex, but he realized they both still had their clothes on. Then, he remembered the previous night's events: he and the prince's drunkenness, them practicing kissing to prepare Nicola for his first kiss, and lastly, he and Nic's more-than-practice make-out session. He wondered what went right to make him stop at the kissing, and not go on like he would've done with any other man as attractive as that prince. He looked over at the older boy, and recollected their close encounter in detail—which was impressive since he had been drunk when it happened. He knew that all that lust he felt last night for the prince was from the wine; it _must_'ve been. He didn't like the brat enough to share such an intimate moment with him. Still, he had to wonder why they were both so willing….

Samuel was brought back to reality by another loud knock. He shook Nicola by the shoulder to wake him, but heard the door opening. He rolled Nicola off of him, darted off the bed and, for lack of quicker hiding place, rolled underneath it.

"Your Majesty?" the maid stepped in. Nicola groaned as she opened the curtain and let in the sunlight. He had an intense aching in his skull and didn't know why.

"Were you…hungry last night Your Highness? And thirsty it seems…." She referred to the food platter and empty wine bottles.

"Scusi?" Nicola didn't know what she meant, then he sat up, rubbed his eyes, and noticed the tray and bottles. He just barely recalled eating some food late last night. Right, he got it for Samuel. He didn't recall drinking any wine though….

"Ah, yes, I was hungry in the middle of the night. And thirsty."

"I see, Your Highness," was her only reply.

"…Would you mind _not_ telling my father, please?" Nicola pleaded.

"Of course Your Grace," she bowed to the prince and left him to get dressed. The servants had stopped trying to dress Nicola and do other tasks for him years ago. After his mother died, he became very solitary and independent of others, not wanting anyone else's care because it wasn't his mother's.

After she left, Samuel got up off the floor and dusted himself off.

"Samuel? What are you doing here so early?" the prince queried.

"What are you talking about? You let me stay the night, remember?" replied the villain.

"No, I don't remember much from last night, only that I brought you food. Those bottles—did we drink all of that?" asked Nicola in confusion.

_He doesn't remember anything after eating?_

Samuel mentally breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to talk about their kissing practice gone haywire after all.

"Yes, we drank those. I drank the lot of it, but it seems it hit you worse than me eh? Probably because I'm used to drinking. You're such a lightweight Nicola," Sam chuckled, "I'll bet you feel like you've been trampled by a fucking carriage!"

"As a matter of fact I do, and how many times do I have to tell you not to cuss, hm?"

"Ha, that's not going to work anymore. Your secret's out Nicola. You told me last night while you were drunk that you cuss all the time," the fiend smirked.

"Did I? Ah well at least I don't have to hide it from you anymore. So I'm not the perfect prince," he shrugged.

"Do you realize who you're talking to? I'm not the most moral man alive, you know."

"Si, and that's why I trust you. You have plenty of flaws just like me, and that makes it easy for you to accept me," smiled the royal. "So do tell, did anything else happen last night?"

Samuel shrugged, "Nothing interesting. Just drunken small talk, not much else. I don't remember much myself," the criminal lied.

"I see. I really regret giving myself this pounding headache…."

"They pass," said Samuel nonchalantly. "Thanks for letting me stay the night by the way, I probably would've fallen asleep on my horse had I tried to ride home!"

"It's nothing to thank me for. You should be going though, I'm sure you have things to take care of in Florenshire; they might be worried about your absence," Nicola commented.

"Yeah I guess. It's really such a shame to go you know. I really enjoy your company Nicola," Samuel said almost romantically.

"I know, I know. It's always a pity when you have to go Samuel, you have no idea how lone—"

The prince was interrupted by another knock at the door. At this, Samuel rolled his eyes and hid under the bed again. The door was opened and a male servant entered this time.

"Prince Nicola, Your Highness," he bowed, "Your father wishes for you to tidy up immediately. He says he has arranged for you to meet a young lady today from the ball."

"Che cosa?!" Nicola's face reddened with anger, "Inutile idiota! You must tell him I refuse! I feel ill today, with an aching in my head! Have you all no decency? No sympathy? I do not wish to see that puttana and I do not wish to see anyone else for the day either! Caspice?! Am I clear?!" he raged at the poor man.

The victim of his fury nodded frantically and scurried out of the room, leaving several apologies behind. Nicola sighed, exhausted from the pressure of dating he's been receiving from his father lately. He flopped back down onto his bed as his eyes started to moisten with anger and frustration. Samuel appeared at his side and sat on the bed next to him.

"Hey, you okay Prince?" he frowned. He'd never seen anyone get so angry in so little time. Nicola's subjects must've really feared him, thought Samuel.

"No. It's my father…he's been so persistent with me finding a woman! But I don't _care_! God sometimes I just want to run away from this place! From everything!" Nicola fumed.

"I think I can do something about that," the criminal smiled. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

"What can you do? Take away the royalty in my blood?" he scoffed skeptically.

"No, I want you to come away with me."

Nicola thought Samuel was joking, but realized he was being serious.

"Just for a day, I'll bring you back here tomorrow," Samuel clarified.

"You can't be serious! I've hardly ever stepped foot outside this castle!" the prince immediately protested. As he thought more about it, he realized that he wanted to go more than anything, but too much was at risk. If anyone discovered he was gone he'd be in immense trouble. Besides that, there were too many dangers beyond the palace, so he had been taught.

"My father told me about the dangers of the outside world: wild beasts, dark forests, criminals…" added Nicola, "There is nothing good outside the walls of this kingdom."

"Now you know that's not true! Not everywhere outside this castle is uninhabitable! Your mother came from outside this place, and I did as well. Are you saying there's nothing good about where I come from? Or are you just too _scared _to make the journey to get there?"

"You know very well that I'm scared!" Nicola retorted.

"Are you _serious_? You've been brainwashed! You aren't going to encounter death just one day on the open road! There's nothing to be afraid of, especially when you have me protecting you!"

Nicola's face became a little warmer with that statement, "Protecting me?" He truly was flattered, but covered it up with, "Hmph, I don't need protecting, stronzo!"

"I meant when you have me by your side nothing bad could happen. You know, because I'm so amazingly strong and intimidating," Samuel complimented himself.

Nicola raised an eyebrow, "Mmhm…. Anyway, what were to happen if my father found out about me being gone?"

"Oh please it's only a day. And why should you care what he thinks anyway? He's the cause of your stress Nicola! And you know something else? Last night you told me that you've had the most fun with me, being mischievous and carefree, than ever before. Don't you want to keep being carefree? Don't you want to not worry about being a prince, if only for a day? I _know_ you agree with me Nicola."

"I said that? Well…I do agree," Nicola admitted, "Dio, you're right. I just want to relax for once and forget that I'm a prince with so many different duties and priorities. You know what Samuel, before I change my mind, I've decided that I will go with you," he smiled.

Samuel smiled back with a hidden deviousness.

"Let me get dressed into more appropriate attire," Nicola said, "I'll bring a few extra outfits too."

"What the hell for? It's _one day_."

"You never know, different things call for different outfits," shrugged the prince.

"You sound like a woman."

That earned Samuel a heated glare, "Excuse me?"

"You sound like a sniveling bitch, whining about needing to bring—" Samuel was cut off, taken aback. Nicola had one of the daggers from his collection at Samuel's throat.

"Don't test me. You know my day has already started off bad, so don't fucking push it, cazzo," Nicola's stare was cold and motionless.

Samuel had no words. He hadn't seen this side of Nicola, and hadn't expected such a reaction from the older man.

"Scared?" Nicola chuckled. Sam nodded shortly, still staring into Nicola's ignited eyes in awe. Nicola retreated, putting the blade back in its place.

"That was…different."

"Ah, you've never seen me when I'm angry then," replied Nicola as he began removing his garments.

"I guess not. You certainly know how to gain respect through fear, that's for sure," Samuel smirked, "I admire that in a man."

"I'm not as meek as you thought I was, am I Sam?"

"I suppose you aren't, sorry for misjudging you," he shrugged.

"It happens, unfortunately. I'll just warn you that we've had to replace quite a few servants here who'd gotten on my last nerve, so watch yourself."

"Of course, I do a lot of watching myself," Sam chuckled as he stared at himself in the mirror.

"What does that mean? Are you some sort of narcissist?" Nicola said accusingly.

"Narci…huh? What's that?" the thief asked puzzled.

"You sound so uneducated," Nic sighed, "It means self-absorbed, conceited, arrogant, and that you're basically in love with yourself. Are you not?"

"Oh! Well," Sam smirked at himself in the mirror, "I _could_ say that. I mean come on, I'm _so_ good looking! Not as good looking as you though~" He winked at the prince.

The royal blushed lightly and chuckled. He did have to agree that Samuel was attractive. _Quite_ attractive. He knew Sam was just flirting, but he didn't think he was serious. Besides, Samuel _did_ say at the ball that he didn't want to dance with Nicola because they were two guys. Of course Samuel wasn't flirting seriously, so why was Nicola putting so much thought into it? The prince had to wonder a little bit.

"Alright, I'm all packed up now," said Nicola changing his train of thought.

"Good," smiled the villain, "Let's hit the road then eh? My horse is near the gates of the palace, so we'll have to walk a little while without getting caught. You prepared?"

"Si," replied Nicola, "Until I return to this castle, I'm no longer the obedient prince I was brought up to be. I'll do whatever I must to feel free, and break any rules just to escape if only for a day."

"Okay, okay, drama queen! Or I guess in this instance, drama _prince_, eh?" Samuel chuckled, "But please, no more motivational speeches okay? They're touching and all, but seriously, I already understand how passionate you are about allowing yourself to take it easy. That's why I'm helping you out," he smiled.

"Yes, I'm sorry Sam. You're right, I guess my passion of being free is overtaking me," the regal teen laughed.

"It's alright. I want you to be excited after all. As long as you're absolutely certain you want to go with me…."

"Of course!" Nicola answered immediately. Samuel smirked.

"That's all I needed to know."

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter is already written, to be posted hopefully soon.**


End file.
